A hospital gown, also known as a patient gown, exam gown, johnny shirt or Johnny gown, is a short-sleeved, thigh-length garment worn by patients in hospitals and other medical facilities. The one-size-fits-none garment remains one of the least loved aspects of American medicine. The hospital gown can be traced back as far as the 1800's where it was no more than a nightshirt with a slit up the back. Since the 1920's, only minor variations have managed to make their way to hospital rooms.
The hospital gown is made of fabric that can withstand repeated laundering in hot water, usually cotton, and is fastened at the back with twill tape ties. Disposable hospital gowns may be made of paper or thin plastic, with paper or plastic ties. Healthcare workers, especially in hospitals, find thin hospital gowns convenient for listening to the heart and lungs. For nurses, giving injections in the buttocks, abdomen, or thighs is easier when the patient is wearing a gown rather than street clothing. Hospital gowns are much thinner and looser than regular clothing, so patients are less likely to overheat.
The hospital gown has a solid front with sleeves on the side and a back that is open with two opposing unconnected edges that have a plurality of corresponding ties along the edges. The corresponding ties can be tied together to close the back and hold the gown together on the patient. With the gown only being held together by two to four fabric ties tied together in the back, the gown provides an easy-access design that works well in emergencies. The body of the patient can be easily accessed by untying the ties.
The standard hospital gown, however, is not a favorite of patients. Due to the shortness of the standard hospital gown and the open back that is often hard to keep in a closed position, most patients do not feel comfortable in the gown. It often makes the patient user feel self-conscious, especially if they have to leave their room. It is often heard and seen that patients will try to hold the back of their gowns closed with one hand as the walk down a hall in a hospital or other medical facility. The state of mind of the patient has been found an important factor in health and recovery. The distractions and self-consciousness caused by the hospital gown do not provide positive impacts on a patient's state of mind, and for some, can be detrimental to that state of mind.
The gowns used for babies and small children can be especially ineffective in providing proper cover and protection and cause different concerns from those described above. These concerns can include how best to secure the gown around a child and effectively ensuring that the gown stays on the child. Children can be especially vulnerable to ill-effects of the standard hospital gown.
Therefore, a need exists for providing patients with more comfort during their stay in a hospital or other medical facility by providing a gown that is less likely to cause distractions to and self-consciousness in the patient. At the same time, the gown should still provide the benefits of easy access to the patient's body for necessary procedures or in case of emergencies.